Incheon: As the captain of the national short track speed skating team and the entire South Korean delegation at the upcoming Winter Olympics, Choi Min-jeong expressed her readiness to guide her team to success in Italy. Choi has previously won five medals in the past two editions of the Winter Olympics, including three golds. Achieving one more medal at the Milan-Cortina Games would tie her with three others for the most Olympic medals won by a South Korean athlete.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi stated, "This is already my third Olympics, and it's an honor to be able to compete at an event with so much at stake," during a press briefing at Incheon International Airport before departing for Italy. She expressed her intent to enjoy the experience and fulfill her responsibilities as the captain of both the short track team and the South Korean delegation.

Choi emphasized her commitment to leading responsibly, expressing hopes for strong performances from both the short track team and the broader delegation. She also mentioned drawing inspiration from athletes in other sports and supporting them from afar. Having competed in Asia for her previous Olympics, she acknowledged the need to manage jetlag effectively for the upcoming games in Italy.

Her teammate, Kim Gil-li, shared her ambition of reaching the podium in all five races she is participating in, including the women's 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 3,000m relay, and the mixed 2,000m relay. Meanwhile, Hwang Dae-heon, another seasoned Olympian, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete and highlighted his focus on executing his plans rather than concentrating on his competitors.

Rim Jong-un, set to make his Olympic debut at 18, admitted to feeling nervous yet excited about the upcoming experience. He has been working on varying his race strategies to surprise his competitors and aims to display a different side of his abilities at the Olympics.